Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तिर्यग्भ्यः पापयोनिभ्यः सदा विचरता वने । न च शोकस्त्वया कार्यः सर्वेषां मरणं धुवम्

Transliteration

tiryagbhyaḥ pāpayonibhyaḥ sadā vicaratā vane | na ca śokastvayā kāryaḥ sarveṣāṃ maraṇaṃ dhuvam

Translation

വനത്തിൽ നിരന്തരം സഞ്ചരിക്കുമ്പോൾ മൃഗങ്ങളെയും പാപസ്വഭാവികളെയും സൂക്ഷിക്കണം. ദുഃഖിക്കരുത്; എല്ലാവർക്കും മരണം നിശ്ചയം.

Word by Word

• tiryagbhyaḥ: from animals
• tiryagbhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tiryac (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Ablative plural: 'from animals')

• pāpa-yonibhyaḥ: from evil-born (creatures)
• pāpa-yonibhyaḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पापा योनिः येषाम्); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (yoni), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: always)

• vicaratā: while roaming
• vicaratā: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (चर् धातु) + vi + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'त्वया' इत्यस्य विशेषण (agreeing in instr. sg.)

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Locative singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• śokaḥ: grief
• śokaḥ: Karta (Topic/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartr̥ (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: 'by you')

• kāryaḥ: to be done
• kāryaḥ: Vidhi (Prohibition/विधि-निषेध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (√kṛ धातु + यत्)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive: 'to be done'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (of śokaḥ)

• sarveṣām: of all
• sarveṣām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive plural)

• maraṇam: death
• maraṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• dhuvam: certain
• dhuvam: Visheshana (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (of maraṇam)

Speaker

Mother (unnamed, within Pulastya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purāṇic audience; within story, addressed to 'tvayā' (the advised person/son)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary traveler in a dense forest, alert to animals and hostile figures, yet composed; a subtle symbolic presence of Time/Death in the background (shadow or setting sun).

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognize impermanence and remain steady; grief should not overwhelm one who understands death as universal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse; it is philosophical counsel within the Arbuda Khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it emphasizes inner attitude (freedom from excessive grief) and caution.